The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Nº1 and Nº2, from Nº3

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Nº1 and Nº2, from Nº3

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

A week before Christmas, Chad Robertson's new book, Tartine Book Nº3 arrived – earlier than I was expecting!,
and most welcome :^)

One of the things I really liked about the design of the book was the arrangement of the letters spelling out the author’s name, on the book jacket.
Turned 90º clockwise, the author’s name becomes the number “3” :^)
                                         


While I was waiting for the book to arrive, various recipes from the book were popping up online, one of them on the Food52 site – the Oat Porridge bread.

http://food52.com/blog/9376-chad-robertson-s-5-essential-tips-for-baking-bread
http://food52.com/recipes/25384-oat-porridge-bread

 

The Oat Porridge bread link above includes responses from Mr. Robertson to reader questions – some helpful information there - I’m going to make note of his responses in my book.

And Floyd – you’ll probably like this! – he refers one of the readers to The Fresh Loaf: “…I often direct people to this site http://www.thefreshloaf... and check it myself when I have questions like this. You'll find many excellent bakers posting a ton of knowledge here - lots of it geared towards making professional quality breads in a home kitchen and how to find the best tools to accomplish this.”   
:^) !


I really love oat breads, and the description of this bread and its flavor in the book was amazing...very happy to have had the chance to try making this one.

The Oat Porridge bread makes two loaves, so I decided to bake one as I normally would (Nº1) , and one in the recommended baking vessel, a cast iron Dutch oven (Nº2).
The scoring (not so beautiful!) follows the numbering…loaves Nº1 and Nº2, from Nº3 :^)
                           

 

I like the look of the Dutch oven-baked bread better – I was a little uncertain baking Nº1 at 500F for the full 20 minutes, so backed off the temperature to 450F after 10 minutes; it was also getting a little dark around the edges, so I took it out 10 minutes or so before Nº2.
Crust color for Nº1 suffered as a result, I think.

I scored around the edges of the free-standing loaf, fearing it might blow out being baked cold right out of the fridge.
The scoring pattern was like this and may partially account for the less-than-round shape after baking?

 


When making the dough, I didn’t include the leaven in the autolyse as I wanted to soak the flour for the 4-hour period.
In place of high extraction flour I used locally-grown, whole-milled whole wheat flour, and I added the optional roasted (unblanched) almonds, and almond oil.


The dough I thought very beautiful, the steel-cut oats prevalent, the roasted color of the almonds a pretty accent.
                                    

 

Tasting this bread, the nuts softened but have that wonderful roasted flavor, the crumb is very tender and moist
(50% cooked-until-creamy organic steel-cut oats!), and the flavor is complex – there is a sweetness from the oats as Chad suggests, and caramel flavors from the crust – but also a pepperiness I wasn’t expecting! Very delicious.

Here is the crumb (both loaves had proofed up overnight in the fridge and I baked them from cold as the book instructed…but reading Mr. Robertson’s response to a question about this in the Food52 link above, he recommended a warm-up period after refrigeration at colder ‘home’ refrigerator temperatures – so I will try that next time – and see if the extra proofing helps this bread open up at all… 
                          
                                              …it’s going to be a lot of fun working through the breads, sweets and flavors in this book!
 

For some great photos of Tartine Bakery’s porridge loaf, please see this post from France about her visit to Tartine Bakery, 
at Tartine Bread Experiment…Chad’s beautiful bread, and the gorgeous loaves I know France is going to make,
will be my inspiration to keep working at it!

Thank you, Mr. Robertson, for your journey of exploration through these countries, breads and grains; and thank you to all of the talented people who worked to put this book together, as well.

Happy baking everyone!
:^) breadsong

 

 

Comments

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Nice!  I haven't seen the new book yet but am looking forward to checking it out.  

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi Floyd,
I thought that was pretty cool when I read Chad's comment, referring people here, and that he uses TFL himself, as a resource.
It's an amazing thing you've built, this site - allowing people to share good information and in doing so helping untold numbers of people!
:^) breadsong

plevee's picture
plevee

For all the technical expertise he brings to TFL. But also for maintaining the helpful, non-critical atmosphere the site has always had. Thanks to him everyone, even Chad Robertson, benefits.

Patsy

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Thank you for your kind comment, Patsy.

breadsong's picture
breadsong

nicely said, Patsy :^)

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Great post!  Your experimental breads look very tasty and I'm sure by the time you're done you will have it right where you want it.  You've convinced me I need to get a copy soon.

Happy Baking.

Ian

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi Ian,
I think you'd really love this book.
The two things I've made from it so far - this bread, and the Salted Chocolate-Rye Cookies - so much flavor.
I can't wait to taste the next thing.
:^) breadsong

 

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

I have the book but keep getting distracted from really diving into it. Your post has me focused now. (Who knows if it will last. It's off to play with granddaughters next week, while their parents play neuroscience professor at a conference.)

Thanks for posting this. It really sounds wonderful from your nice description and photos.

David

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi David,
Thank you! and I am looking forward to seeing what you bake from this book - I know it will be beautiful.
Enjoy your special time with your granddaughters!
:^) breadsong

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

I though for sure that your post was going into the sewer:-)  Thank goodness your bread 1.2.3.bread was way better than that.  That France post was amazing with the most boldly baked loaf of oat covered bread I have ever seen!  What a spectacular loaf of bread,  I always poo pooed Chad and Tartine off off as pure, no sour, white bread but this #3 book effort is a different kind of bread thing completely ...one Lucy can sink her teeth into.  Thanks for highlighting it and making #1 & #2 something more than a  #3.

Happy New Year breadsong .   

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi dabrownman,
Hope you and Lucy enjoy baking with this book, if you get it...so many sprouted grains and healthy things in these loaves :^)
The chocolate salted rye cookies perhaps don't qualify as healthy but are certainly delicious; 
so happy you liked those!
Wasn't the crust on that oat bread amazing? Next time I bake this, no way am I going to be shy -
I'm going for it and will try to get that dark, dark crust.
:^) breadsong

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Great post, breadsong.   My bread book test is as simple as, does it make me want to run to the kitchen and start some dough?  This book passed with flying colors!   It is a lovely book - lots of ideas and jumping-off-points for those of us who have trouble leaving formulas well enough alone.  For my first bake I was drawn to oats as well.  I have a batch of the double fermented oat bread going right now.  Hopefully it comes out as nicely as yours!

Marcus

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi Marcus,
I was so happy the book arrived early, and like you, I wanted to make one of these breads right away.
It was a bit of torment not being able to dive right in, other things keeping me busy over the holidays.
There is loads of inspiration in this book and I think jumping-off points were the idea :^)
It's going to be wonderful seeing what you, and other bakers, do with these loaves!
Best wishes for your double fermented oat bread, and thank you so much for your kind words -
I'm happy you liked this one.
:^) breadsong